Beautiful

She walked into my office and sat down on the couch.
I listened as she made statements I had heard many times over the years. She felt ugly and unlovable. She felt she was not good enough.
Others have come into my office with a lack of confidence, motivation, hope, or sense of purpose. They are unsure they can manage all the difficulties they are facing. Along the pathway of life, this woman, like so many others I have worked with, was led to believe she was unworthy and a mistake. Too often, society, social media, friends, or family make statements and act in ways that reinforce the belief that we must change something about ourselves to be good enough. If left unchecked, these thoughts can fuel depression, anxiety, and hatred toward self and others. While I saw a beautiful woman walk into my office that day, she did not see herself the same way. We began a journey that would help her learn that she was worthy, beautiful, and lovable. Her life did have purpose. The journey to healing begins with the recognition that God created people “in the image of God . . . ; male and female He created them” (Genesis 1:27, NKJV). A few verses further, it states He saw everything He made, and it was very good (verse 31). In Jeremiah 1:5, God says, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you” (NKJV). We have all been beautifully and purposefully created.
We are loved beyond imagination. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” ( John 3:16, NKJV). God not only put His Son’s life on the line for us but also wants us to partake in strength, confidence, and fullness of purpose that is divine in nature. That is an incredible statement to make, but 2 Peter 1:4 says we are given “exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these [we] . . . may be partakers of the divine nature” (NKJV).
These verses take my breath away. God made each of us in His image. We have been made “very good,” and we have access to a divine power that can take us through all trials. Let us encourage each other to turn away from the things offered by humans and accept God’s offer to be partakers of His divine nature.
Beatrice Tauber Prior